Catherwood LibraryILR School

Washington state employees are seeing dramatic increases in salaries, due to a surging economy and increased clout for public worker unions across the state. Washington state employees' unions won favorable legistlature in recent years, resulting in booming membership, larger coffers and more political weight. While taxpayer groups worry the burden of such salary jumps will eventually be too much for citizens to bear, the development has aided in recruitment for nurses and other public units that had seen new recruits drop precipitously.